7 things I've learned at 27

I have a little over 3 months until I turn 28. 28 feels awfully close to 30, but magically, I don't care. I feel really at peace with my 20's winding down. My 20's have been the most formative years of my life, and the truth is that I'm extremely grateful for the shit show that has been the last 7 years of life. Don't worry, there were plenty of great times as well.

Slow down you crazy child...

There is an amazing Billy Joel song called "Vienna." The lyric that always spoke to me goes: "Slow down, you crazy child, you're so ambitious for a juvenile. But if you're so smart, tell me then, why are you so afraid?" When you start your 20's you have all these ideas of what your life should be, but it never seems to turn out that way. Frankly, it shouldn't if you want to learn anything along the way. Life should be messy, especially in your early twenties, when you're figuring out who you are. It should change you and it should take you awhile. What you want at 20 will most likely be what you want at 27 or 30...so slow down. It will come.

Learning to take your time

Patience is a virtue. Relationships don't go from first date to planning your wedding in a day. You don't get to be promoted to VP on the first day of your first job. I believe this is why we millennials got so into manifesting and dream boards. Set your goals but realize it's going to take time. Be patient and work hard and don't be afraid to take risks. It's just that easy and just that hard. Keep laser focused, but remember to take your time. Doing so will help you make the best choices and allow you to build your dream life over time.

Age ain't nothing but a number

If living in LA taught me anything, it's that age is nothing but a damn number. People are changing their lives at 45. There is no clock. There is no accomplishment that you need to complete by a certain age. As you get older, you'll thank your younger self for being a shit show!

That's not your story

Between magazines, red carpets and Instagram, we have the temptation to compare ourselves to anyone. Say you want to lose weight...well that Australian yoga instructor is clogging your feeds with picture perfect poses that show off her abs. Say you want to be an actress...thanks to E! for posting ads all over every internet page you visit to remind you that you've not landed a big film. Who cares? That's not your story. You are writing your own book, and as the saying goes, "don't compare your chapter 1 to someone else's chapter 20."

Lean in to being the best you

There is a lot of pressure to be the next CEO or Oscar-winning producer, but not every person wants to be something at such a large scale. Some people just want to be a mom or a wife, some people just want to run a café, or make enough money to travel. So sure, take some inspiration from Sheryl Sandburg, but remember that the most important messages come from your heart.

Listen to your body

When I was 21, I thought "the club" was great. I had some of the wildest nights of my life running around New York City with my gals from The Standard Hotel. But somewhere around 25, those hangovers felt like they lasted days and by 27, I'd rather sleep than head to the pub for shots just because it's Friday. My body doesn't want to do it. It wants healthy food and regular work outs. My body loves sleep. My body has a full-on love affair with 8 hours of sleep. So I listen to it. Don't get me wrong, I still have my big nights out, but listening to my body has become so much more important.

Listen to your heart and soul

At the end of it all, what you'll really see is that none of it matters other than what your heart and soul say. If the break-up feels right, that's enough. If the move feels right, that's enough. If the job feels right, that's enough. People are always going to have a lot of opinions on how you should live your life, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what you truly feel in your heart. So go ahead and do that thang!